Alexander seemed so at home in the stable tacking up the horses. Alexis felt like she could watch him forever. He looked so calm, so sure of himself, like he was in his element. It made her swoon all over again. The mare remained calm throughout the whole saddling experience, though Alexis couldn't get over the metal bit in her mouth. How did she mind that? She asked him about it and Alexander told her there were bridles without them but there were none at the stable. He told her you could even ride without a bridle but she wasn't ready for that. Alexis swallowed as she looked at the mare. She wasn't even sure she was ready for this, yet, but for Alexander, she would try her best. She nodded, her voice suddenly shy. "If this goes well...do you think you could teach me? Maybe some day I can learn to ride without it." She knew she sounded nervous when she said it, but somehow looking at the bit in the gentle mare's mouth only fueled her determination.
He continued to reassure her, telling her it didn't hurt the mare and that she was probably ready to be out of the stable. Alexis nodded in agreement. She took a deep breath before climbing up into the saddle, adjusting herself as needed while staying observant of the mare's comfort as well. She didn't want to be too rough on her. Hearing her boyfriend's approval made her smile, her whole face lighting up with the praise as she smiled down at him. She took the reins from him and tried to sit perfectly still, afraid that any big movement might jostle the horse or hurt her back. She just felt so...helpless up here. But she told herself to keep breathing and distracted herself by watching Alexander saddle up another horse for himself. The horse he chose was beautiful, not that she didn't think the mare she was astride wasn't. There was something more powerful about the horse he chose, more confident, more freeing.
She knew she would have been terrified to get on a horse like that, yet Alexander looked so at ease with the horse as he moved around, tacking him up before swinging up in the saddle as if he belonged. The mare stood completely still as Alexis watched, patient and relaxed until Alexander urged his own mount up to her. He told her to use her legs and squeeze to make her go forward. Nodding, Alexis tried not to look nervous as she gently squeezed her legs. Luckily, the mare was very sensitive and eagerly moved off in a walk beside Alexander's own horse, her ears forward, eager to see where they were going. Letting out a breath, Alexis tried to get used to the new sensation, her body swaying with the mare's movements as they walked. "This is...different." She murmured as she adjusted and tried to move with the sensation.
alexis wilde